I’ve refrained from talking about this particular issue however I can’t help but give a comment now. Apparently Rep. Mikey Arroyo tried to defend his mother for eating at expensive restaurants ($20,000 tab) while in the US for her meeting with President Obama. In last night’s episode of TV Patrol, Rep. Mikey Arroyo asked this question to the media – “Do you want your President to eat in Mcdonald’s or some turo-turo?” I’m sorry but the Arroyo family desperately needs a good Public Relations Manager or Consultant. The son of the President probably just insulted more than 90% of the Filipino population with that comment.
Here’s the video clip of the interview. Note that the audio and video are kinda out of sync.
If you delve deeper into the issue, the problem is not just the $20,000 dinner. The problem here is how insensitive and detached this current administration is from the actual state of the country. It’s as if they’re living in a parallel universe where everything is a-okay. Instead of humbling themselves and letting this issue pass, they all just have to shoot off their mouths as if the Filipino people owes it to them to eat at Le Cirque.
A good friend of mine from the PR industry shared this to me while we were talking about this issue this morning:
The best and most effective way to increase this administration’s approval rating is to get a stapler and use it on the mouths of Rep. Mikey Arroyo, Rep. Nograles, and Sec. Raul Gonzales.
I know for a fact that some people here in the Philippines don’t mind the $20,000 bill, especially since the one who paid for it was Rep. Romualdez. What’s probably turning them off now is how the government is reacting to the issue. It’s as if they are intentionally burying themselves deeper and deeper into a black hole!
Senator Chiz Escudero was spot on when he said that this government has no heart and that it lacks compassion. We need a leader that can inspire us into believing into the greatness of the Filipino. This current administration even appears to be looking down on us.
Thanks to my office buddy Joey for sharing this with me.
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Hay naku grabe talaga yung government ngayon. It’s like they didn’t think about spending such a huge amount of money on fancy dinners when everyone knows that majority of Filipinos live in poverty and barely have anything to eat.
I don’t see any problem spending $20,000 and $15,000 in dinners, AS LONG AS these are spent for work directly related to the President’s official duties in foreign visits.
But if not, then we have a problem here.
More of this in my blog: http://sjsanjuan.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/still-on-presidential-visits-and-dining-out/
Here’s a shovel, Mikey. Keep on digging.
Di na ‘ko kakain ulit sa Mc. Do, nakakawalang dignity pala! Mike must have eaten a lot of good food, there’s nothing left in his brain to feed!
I don’t mind the $20,000 dinner myself. I’m taking it from this perspective: any other rich person would do the same thing, so this behavior is expected of people from the same social class. And Gloria Arroyo is not from a low or middle-class family.
But her son, did she raise him right? What the hell was that answer?
The PR guy is right–if she treats the comment as a comment from a politician and not as a comment from her son, and in turn, reprimands Mikey for it, that would cut them some slack.
Hi Carlo, you’re welcome and thanks for the link to my blog post.
It’s the height of insensitivity. Frankly, it seems the present administration has reached the point where it absolutely does not care about public opinion, or delicadeza, or logic, for that matter.
How else are we to explain the contempt it’s showing for the public?
@Marissa: What’s even more amazing (and annoying) is that they have the gall to talk about anti-hunger and anti-poverty efforts afterwards.
@Joey: Yes bro, the problem isn’t the bill. It’s really how arrogant they’ve become through the years.
@Dodge: GMA should drop kick Mikey. xD
ITs better to eat in turo-turo or in street vendor rather they would say no dignity basta ang pinambayad ay sariling pera at di sa taong bayan. why barack Obama eat in a burger store and yet he still dignified.
I can’t believe this! What’s wrong with eating at McDonalds? I’d love to see my President be one with the people and eat where they eat. I think there is more dignity in that than showing off your position and wealth!
That son of this corrupt President should go to ****!
ayos lng cla..anong msama kung s mc do kumain ang pamilya arroyo?pera ng bayan gingamit nila sa luxury nila….mag-icip icip nman cla
Kawawang mga PINOY…kailan kaya masisilayan ang magandang UMAGA’t Bagong ARAW..eto pa rin tayo sa KAHIRAPAN..Kahirapan na mahirap lang ang mga nahihirapan, dahil ma influenciang mga TAO lang din ang nagpapahirap dahil sa kanilang mga PERSONAL na INTEREST..Politikong sanay sa kawalanghiyaan, kasinungalingan, mga kabalbalan…KAILAN kaya mabago ang takbo ng buhay PINOY? Rep. Mike, kailangan pa ba ng “good PRO ang mga ARROYO?…para lang mapaganda ang imaheng kailanman ay nag iwan na ng LUMOT sa SAMBAYANAN?…wawa kaming mahihirap lagi na lang nahihirapan..huhuhuhuhuhu.
Marcos + Imelda = Gloria! GMA and co. are painting themselves into a corner, it’s best for them to shut up and leave.
Let me share with you guys a comment from one of my friends on Facebook:
“That’s how the Jeep ni Erap campaign gathered the most votes ever for a Philippine President … he ate with the people, with his hands!” – Michael Orosa
i absolutely agree with you. i used to be lukewarm with this government, but day in and day out they just keep on giving us reason to hate them. and aren’t they graduates from the best schools? they don’t need a PR team. they need common sense!
what and idiot
Bilang INA NG BAYAN… naatim ni Gloria ang kumain sa mamahaling restoran habang 3/4 of the Filipino population is starving??? Anong klase kang ina???
Mikey by nature is arrogant. Just ask the people in Bacolod. His favorite statement, ” Anak ako ng Presidente.” And not to mention the people surround him with the likes of Nany Almeda, Pampanga Sip-Sip contractors, Gambler and now PNOC Director Julio “Boy” Jalandoni, and of course, his “special friends” Maui Taylor, etc.
gago tlaga tong c mikey, mag-artista,. pulpol mging pulitiko lalong pulpol. hay nku kung ikw lang mgi2ng lider ng bansang i2 ano n kya tau s su2nod n taon.
What else is new? Sabi nga.. kung anong puno.. siyang bunga… arogante at walang puso ang INA.. talamak sa kawalanghiyaan ang ama, ano ieexpect ntin sa anak??? I pity his schools dahil kitang kita nman n wala siyang nkuhang magandang asal mula sa mga naturingang prestihiyosong paaralan n pinanggalingan niya… sila na mismo ang nagpapakita ng kabobohan nila sa taumbayan…
To answer you Cong. Arroyo Yes i hope the President does, especially if it will literally save millions of pesos, please do… like Carlo says 90% of our population happen to love Mc.Donalds & turoturos plus i have to say the best foods ive tasted are from turo turos around the world…so dont even…
PS. Pls splurge your own “hard earned millions” not ours
Yang mga halang ang sikmura na yan, kahit kumain pa sila sa mamahaling restaurant
wala pa din cilang “Dignity”….
haha…
Saan nahuhuli ang ISDA??? sa BIBIG!!!
I love eating at Mcdo!!! Love ko toh!!!
President Gloria Arroyo should ask Mikey to shut his mouth. Every time Mikey is speaking in front of the media, he reveals his Arroyo clans’ darkest secret .
the first son’s ass is where his mouth is….
hey you, ikaw ba kumakain ka ba sa joli-jeep?
Aha! Walang dignity ang kumakain sa turo turo at McDonald’s! I have to agree with one of the peepz here that AS LONG AS YOU PAID YOUR MEAL WITH YOUR OWN MONEY, YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY then kahit siguro kumain ka ng ginto okay lang! I still love McDonald’s and Turo Turo it’s more dignified eating there, along with ordinary people unlike in high end restaurants with those bastards!
si obama nga kumain sa fastfood chain, kasama si vp biden, sila pa mismo bumili eh.
http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-biden-head-to-rays-hell-burgers-for-lunch-53201/
kapal mo Mikey!!!